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News for January 4, 2002

Edited by John Stevenson

Bay Series News

An Evening with Stuart tickets available

Stuart O'Grady
Photo: © Karen Forman/CN

Tickets are still available for An Evening with Stuart, an informal get-together with Stuart O'Grady at the Crown Casino on Wednesday, January 9. The event is over to all over 18 and will feature an interview with O'Grady about his rise from club to international rider - and everything in between - by the voice of cycling, Phil Liggett. It gets underway at 7.30pm, tickets are $32 per person and include free parking, a meal and a $10 Crown voucher. Bookings are essential by calling Karin Jones on 0408 375 238;

Big turnout for today'sAussie crit champs

"Enormous" crowds are expected by race director John Trevorrow for the third round of the Skilled Geelong Bay Classic 2002 in Geelong tonight, Friday January 4 night - with the men's A and women's events comprising the Australian Criterium Championships. "It is going to be awesome," Trevorrow said. World number one Anna Millward and mountain bike champ turned pro road racer Cadel Evans, are both expected to front up on the start lines for the first time this series.

Women's race extended

The woman's event at Geelong tonight will be held over one hour instead of 45 minutes as for the past two days, due to it being part of the Australian Criterium Championships. The event is expected to be hotly contested, with stage two winner Rochelle Gilmore still hungry and looking forward to the competition of world champ Anna Millward.

Skilled Geelong Bay Classic results and reports

Dunlap to race in Texas

By Ted Arnold

Dominant. No other one word can be used to better describe Alison Dunlap (Clif) and her five consecutive U.S. National Cyclo-cross titles. Ecstatic. The word that the Gulf Coast Cycling Club (GCCA) members used when they received confirmation of Alison's scheduled appearance at the GCCA Off-Road Classic on January 19, 2002.

Dunlap's appearance is confirmation of the growing popularity of cyclo-cross in the state of Texas. The race is part of an the Texas Cup series put on by the Texas Bike Racing Association (TXBRA) and will take place in the shadow of Downtown Houston in Eleanor Tinsley park.

Though not known for it's freezing temperatures, Texas has had its fair share of challenging wet and muddy cross events this season. The course is described as a fast with some dismounts and a two steep climbs to keep things interesting. In addition to competing, Dunlap will also be handing out awards to the six to twelve year old participants of the Kids Kup race scheduled for the same day.

The GCCA Off-Road Classic is sponsored by Baylor Sports Medicine Institute and TIRR Rehabilitation Centers. Additional event information can be located at www.gcca.com.

ONCE waiting for new kit

ONCE's traditional early January team camp has been delayed because the team is still waiting for its 2002 strip to arrive from its clothing supplier, according to Spanish sources. The camp, which has been held in the El Bosque area at this time every year since 1989, will be postponed until the second half of January.

iBanesto.com 2002

The iBanesto.com team has announced a 2002 line-up that includes a couple of significant new faces: Juan Antonio Flecha, formerly of Relax Fuenlabrada and Jose Iván Gutiérrez who joins the team after two years at ONCE in which he won the Spanish TT championships (2000) and road championships (2001). Flecha has five victories to his name, all in 2001. The addition of these two should strengthen iBanesto.com for the team's 2002 campaign, which includes all three Grand Tours.

Staff

Manager: José Miguel Echávarri
Directeurs sportifs: Eusebio Unzúe, José Luis Jaimerena y Alfonso Galilea
Public relations: Francis Lafargue

Sponsors

Clothing: Nalini
Bicycles: Pinarello (Campagnolo)
Vehicles: Mercedes

Riders

Thomas Brozyna
Jon Odriozola
José María Jimenez
José Luis Arrieta
Leonardo Piepoli
Javier Pascual Rodriguez
Dariusz Baranowski
José Vicente Garcia Acosta
Aitor Osa Eizaguirre
David Latasa Lasa
David Navas Chica
Santiago Blanco Gil
Marzio Bruseghin
Unai Osa Eizaguirre
Patxi Vila
Pablo Lastras
Francisco Mancebo
Eladio Jimenez
Xavier Zandio
Juan Antonio Flecha
Denis Menchov
Juan Miguel Mercado
Koldo Gil
José Iván Gutierrez
Adolfo Garcia
Rubén Plaza

Pantani starts 2002 campaign

Marco Pantani continues to repeat that 2002 will be the year of his resurrection as a cyclist, and he has been hitting the roads over the Christmas and New Year break to demonstrate that this is more than just words.

Pantani spent the week around Christmas training in Liguria, New Year in Cesenatico and today he joins three of his Mercatone-Uno team-mates in Malaga, Spain for three weeks of training (see next story).

Marcatone-Uno plans to start its early 2002 campaign -- which will have to include some victories if Pantani is to have any hope of a start in the 2002 Tour de France -- with the four-day Vuelta a Andalucia "Ruta Ciclista Del Sol", which starts February 17.

Italian teams roll out

Marco Pantani's Mercatone-Uno squad will be the first Italian team to hold a winter camp this year when four of its riders Pantani, Della Vedova, Fois and Ortenzi assemble in Malaga, Spain today for a training and orientation meeting that ends January 27. Other team members will train in Reggio Emilia, starting January 15.

Saeco is next, with riders meeting in Terracina on January 7-18. Over the course of the coming several weeks the Italian peloton will wake like a sleeping giant, with Tacconi Sport the last squad to get together on February 2-12.

2002 Italian team training camps

Mercatone Uno           Jan 4-27      Malaga
Mercatone Uno           Jan 15-27     Reggio Emilia
Saeco Longoni Sport     Jan 7-18      Terracina
Panaria Fiordo          Jan 7-8       Reggio Emilia
Fassa Bortolo           Jan 9-18      Marina di Bibbiena
Fassa Bortolo           Feb 4-12      Marina di Bibbiena
Mapei Quick Step        Jan 9-16      Lido di Camaiore
Mapei Quick Step        Jan 28-Feb    Palma de Maiorca
Mobilvetta              Jan 10-20     Alba Adriatica
Acqua&Sapone            Jan 14-27     Porto San Giorgio
Alexia Alluminio        Jan 14-19     Sal˜
Lampre Daikin           Jan 21-Feb 2  Marina di Minturno
Colpack Astro           Jan 25-Feb 2  Tor San Lorenzo
Cage Maglierie          Feb 1-15      Follonica
Tacconi Sport           Feb 2-12      Donoratico

Mori to Team Jura

Simone Mori will be the seventh member of new Swiss Division III team Team Jura - JaJo Sport, according to team manager Jacques Jolidon. The 29 year old Italian joins the team from Kia and previously rode for Team Coast, Amica Chips and Cross. Since turning pro in 1997, his career highlights include stage wins in the Tour of Serbia (1997) and Dirka Po Sloveniji (1998).

Two riders remain to be announced to bring the team up to it's intended nine-man format.